Leopoldo Jesus Alard (March 11, 1941 – October 15, 2003) was an American

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. He was

suffragan bishop A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...

of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas from 1995 to 2003.

Early life and education

Alard was born on March 11, 1941, in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. His great-grandmother was a founding member of the Episcopal Church of Cuba. In 1961, he and his family fled Cuba and sought sanctuary in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. He studied at Stetson University and graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in history, and later at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Caribbean in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

from where he graduated with a

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...

degree in 1967. He also studied in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

and at the University of the South. He was awarded a doctorate from the

Seminary of the Southwest Seminary of the Southwest (formally the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest and informally SSW) is an Episcopal seminary in Austin, Texas. It is one of nine accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Seminar ...

in 1996 and another from the University of the South in 2000.

Ordained ministry

Alard was ordained a deacon in 1967 and priest in 1968. He then became vicar of St Mark's Church in Chattahoochee, Florida, while in 1972 he became the rector of St John's Church in Homestead, Florida. In 1986 he was appointed as canon for Hispanic ministries and director of the Center for Hispanic Ministries of Province VII. In 1995 he also became canon for multicultural ministries in the Diocese of Texas.

Bishop

On May 12, 1995, Alard was elected Suffragan Bishop of Texas and he was consecrated on September 9, 1995, by Presiding Bishop

Edmond L. Browning Edmond Lee Browning (March 11, 1929 – July 11, 2016) was an American bishop. He was the 24th presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Education, ordination, early ministry Browning received his s ...

at the chapel of Episcopal High School in Houston. He was the first Hispanic to be elected bishop in the Episcopal Church within the

. His episcopacy is noted for his role in representing the church to the Latino community and for his support for the ordination of women. In July 2003, he was placed in intensive care after suffering from liver disease for numerous months and resigned as suffragan bishop.Skidmore, D
"Bishops Approve Procedure for Robinson Consent"
''Episcopal News Service'', July 31, 2003. Retrieved on June 30, 2022. On October 15, 2003, Alard died while awaiting a liver transplant. His funeral was held on October 25 at Christ Church Cathedral.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alard, Leopoldo J. 1941 births 2003 deaths 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Texas 20th-century American clergy Stetson University alumni